Bottle closure



April 1951 D. N. ROBINEAU 2,980,276

BOTTLE CLOSURE Filed Oct. 2, 1958 ll la INVENTOR. DORIA NINA ROBINEAU A T TORNE Y fication;

BOTTLE CLOSURE Doria Nina Robineau, Scarsdale, N.Y., assignor to The Poly-Seal Corp, New York, N.Y., a corporation of New York Filed Oct. 2, 1958, Ser. No. 765,719

9 Claims. (Cl. 21556) 1; pressure developed within the sealed container by decomposition or evaporation of the liquid.

Particularly in the chemical arts it is common experience that many liquids like aqueous ammonia, aqueous hydrogen peroxide, and others undergo slow decomposition during storage with the evolution of a gas. Containers of such liquids have been known to burst as a result of excessive internal pressure so developed. A similar situation arises in the storage of extremely volatile organic compounds, such as acetone, ether and alcohols. In this case the vapor pressure of the liquid which, despite instructions carried on the bottle, will frequently be stored at excessively high temperatures,

- States Patent Q becomes so high that the sudden release of pressure creates a hazard when the closure is opened.

It is, accordingly, a fundamental object of this invention to provide a closure suitable for use on bottles, typically screw tops, which is characterized by its forming a reliable liquid seal, but which will permit gases formed within the container to escape when their pres sure passes a given level.

It is another object of the invention to provide a bottle closure suitable for use with containers of conventional design such that adequate liquid seal may be developed Within the said container.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and in part appear hereinafter.-

The invention, accordingly, is embodied in a sealing cap, typically a screw top, for a bottle having an external threaded neck portion, the cap being provided with an internally extending stud which is matched to an internal conical gasket fitted onto said stud. The cap is further characterized by having pressure release orifices in the top portion directly over the end of the bottle neck sec tion, the bottle itself being sealed by the gasket which is aligned with the pressure release orifices, and, with the cap, is formed to aid in the release of pressure.

A better understanding of the invention may be had by reference to the drawings wherein: v

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the typical closure for the bottle;

Fig. 1a is a fragmentary view and showing a modi- Fig. 2 is a section taken along the line 2--2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig 3 is a View taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; and

Fig. 4 is a view taken along the line 4-4 of Fig. 2 to illustrate an alternative form of cap;

7 operation of the seal.

Fig. 6 is a view corresponding to that of Fig. 5 but showing an alternative form or structure.

;R e ferring now to Figs. 1 and 2, the device comprises a Patented Apr. 18, 1961 cap 10 having axial cylindrical portion 11 provided with internal threads 12 to engage corresponding threads 13 on the bottle neck 14.

The bottle or container is of conventional design in that the body itself may be of any shape, having a neck which terminates in a definite thickness or ring 15 which is transverse to the axis of the mouth of the container itself. The cap 10 may be formed of hard plastic or any other material of suitable mechanical strength for forming a bottle closure. Extending inwardly from the bottle cap 10 is the internal stud 16 which may be solid or hollow.

The sealing member is generally of the construction described in US. Patent 2,734,651, issued Feb. 14, 1956, on application Ser. No. 213,847, filed Mar. 5, 1951, by Alrik C. Lindstrom. The sealing member itself comprises a single piece gasket 20 of resilient material, generally of a frnsto-conical shape having a central longitu dinal sleeve 21, which is closed at its lower end by the integral web 22. The conical surface extends at an angle of about 45 to a circle 23 corresponding to the internal diameter of the neck of the bottle, whereupon the end section is compressed between the cap 10 and bottle end 15 and bent outwardly substantially in a plane transverse to the axis of the central cylindrical sleeve to form end section 24 of the sealing member. The section 24 of the sealing member extends over end ring 15 of the wall of the bottle itself, so that in a relaxed position when placed in a container of matching size the conical portion of the sealing member fits Within the neck of the bottle and the rim section 24 will be sufficient to rest on the end of the bottle neck.

The internal stud 16 and sleeve 21 are provided to give accurate centering of the sealing member within the cap.

The end portion 24 of the sealing neck is pressed against the inner face of the cap 10 when the center sleeve 21 is placed on the cap by slipping the sleeve 21 on the stud 16. In this way the sealing member is accurately centered on the neck of the bottle and facilitates engagement of the cap threads with the threads of the bottle.

To permit escape of gas formed in the container when it is sealed, the cap 10 is provided with at least one orifice 30 and preferably with two or more as indicated in Fig. 1 where four symmetrically placed orifices 30, 31, 32, and 33, are shown. The orifices themselves are concentric with the cap itself so that the orifice 50, in one form for example, is arcuate and elongated, with its outer edge 39' substantially aligned with the outer circumference of the-section 24 of the internal gasket 2% The inner edge 3-3 of the orifice 30 is preferably of a radius smaller than the inside radius of the bottle neck. This alignment of the orifice 30 over the neck of the'bottle is shown in Fig. 2 where the longitudinal section reveals the relationship of the parts. I v

Fig. 1a shows a modified orifice 33 extending radially.

In Fig. 3, one structure of the underface of the sealing member 20 is shown. The characteristic of this underface is in the formation integrally with the member of at similar to. those formed integrally with the sealing member. t

-In Fig. 5 an enlarged fragmentary section of the bottle neck, orifice 33 and end section 24 is showriin order to clarify the manner of operation.

In a preferred-form shown in Fig. 6, the diameter of the =flaring lip 24'o'f the liner in less than thatof the outer 'walls of the container mouth. The outer edge. of the lip 24 lies under the opening 31.

i The functioning of the bottle as sealed with this clostire is that by forming the sealing member of a resilient plastic material having a slight elastic lag, such as high molecular weight polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene, or

=24 of'sealing member 20 and the resilient material is compressed between the several sections of the cap it) between orifices. The pressure is such that "the small projections 40, 41, 42, 43- and the like, arecompressed sufiiciently to develop complete liquid seal.

33, for example, to .be raised very slightly, as indicated in 'Fig. 5 to permit the escape of such gas' between the sealing member beyond its edge and out through 'the orifice 33, 1 i

' In this form of seal, thecap having a planar interior is used.

The-alternative. interior face of the cap shown in V Fig. 4 can be used with a planar sealing member orone like that shownin Fig. 3. in the form shown in Fig. 6,

' thepressure forces the edge of the lip 24 upinto the opening 31 to permit escape of gas between the lip 24 Upon the formation of a given proportion of gas Within the con- .tainer, pressure builds up suflicient to cause the portion "or the sealing'gasket intercepted by the are of the orifice by a container wall portion terminating in an end ring encircling the mouth in a plane transverse to the axis of the opening of the container mouth, said closure comprising a cap having a cylindrical portion and a flat portion parallel to said end surface with at least one orifice in said flat portion, said orifice being oriented over the end of saidend ring, an imperforate sealing member of frustro-conical form and of resilient material Withinsaid cylindrical portion, the base portion of said sealing member'extending outwardly to a diameter corresponding to the internal diameter of said cylindrical cap portion, spacer meansbetween said cap and said container mouth whereby a differential compression of said'resilient sealing member is effected upon closure ofsaid container,

and end 15 of the container mouth. The effect sought 'for completing sealing is a differential compression on p the. gasket'or sealing member around the circumference of the bottle neck. The'result is the seali'ngmemb'er is compressed against the bottle top throughout its circumference tight enough to seal the bottle against leakage, but'the differential pressure develops between the sealing member and the container. The result is when gas pressure develops within the bottle the gas finds a route of escape through such a course where the area of less presand cooperating means comprising telescoping elements located centrally of said sealing member and said. cap member slidably supporting said sealing member on said cap member.

3. The closure as recited in claim in which the orifice has its sides defined by arcs of concentric circles having their centers at the center of the cap.

4. The closure as recited in claim 3' in which said spacer means are a pluralityof ribs formed integrally I:

with the ring of said sealing member.

5. The closure as recited in claim 3 in which said spacer means are a plurality of ribs'formedintegrally with the cap.' i

. '6. A screw top closure for a li'q uid container'having a neck terminating in an endencircling the mouth in a plane transverse to the axis of thev opening of the container mouth, said closure comprising in combination a cap, at least one orificefin saidicap, said orifice being 1 oriented over the end ofisaidlneck a cylindrical portion withthreads therein on said cap for tightening thersame sure against 'the sealing member is intercepted under the r e orifice 30; for example. r

-In1'this fashion the storage of volatile or even decomposable liquids .within closed containers fbeco'mes' possible, 'becauseby'fo'rming the sealing members of'a material matched'tothe properties of the liquids to be stored, gas escape is permitted and dangerous internal container pressures do not develop.

Although the invention has been described with referenceto onlya single embodiment it is to be understood that variations thereof may be practiced without departing from its spirit or scope. Y

' What'is claimed is: e

l. A closure for a container having a mouth defined by a container wall portion terminating injan end en.-

circling the mouth in a plane transverse to the axis of the opening of the container month, said ciosure .cornprising a cap having at least one orifice therein, said orifice being oriented over the end of the wall defining :the' mouth otthe container and extending over them'outh of the container, a cylindrical portion on saidi cap with mea'nsfor tighteningthesame upon a container,' an inn perforate sealing member of resilient material, fitted withsaid'cylindrical portion against said cap, ,said;sealing member bein'g frustro-conical and-flaring'outwardly trom e a central portion of the sealing member to fit upon the mouth ofthe container, with the outer edge of said scab N 5 ing member terminating under Jsaid orifice'and over the V end ofthewalldefining theimouthiof the container, said 7,

' sealing member cooperating with saidcap and said con 1t'ainer mouth to produce a difierential compression of the edge of said resilient sealing member uponclosure of said'bottle. 'f; i J ZuAj closure for a' container. havingv upon the neck of the container, and an 'irnperforate sealingmember ot resilient material within said cap, said sealing member having an end, section in contact with said cap around the circumference of! said cap, said sealing member flaring inwardly in frustro-conical form from said ring sectionto the central portion of the. sealing member, whereupon said frus'tro-conical section fits within the mouth of said container, and said end section contacts the mouth of said container and spacer means cooperating with said end section tocreate a differential degree of compression of said sealing member when the cap is closed on the mouth of a bottle.

7'. A device in accordance with claim 6 wherein said spacers are integral with said sealing means.

, .8; A device in accordance with claim 6 wherein the the opening o f the container month, said closure comprising a cap having at'least one orifice therein', said orifice jbeing 'priented over the end of the 'wall defining the mouth offlthe container and extending over the mouth of the containersa cylindrical portion on said cap with ;.m'eans for tig htenin'g the same. uponla containerfan imperforatelsealing memberof resilient material fitted within said cylindrical portion againstsaid'cap, said sealing member being frustro-conical and flaring outwardly from a central portion of the sealingmember to fit upon the mouth of the container, the outer e'dg'e ot the outwardly flaring portion of said sealing member terminating under said. orifice intermediate the radial endsthereof and; over the end of thewall portionldefining the, mouth jofihe container, whereby said outer edge is resilientlydiffe'ren- I tially compressed between saijdc'apand said end? f References Citedin the, file of astiest] UNITED s'rArEsPnTnNfrs 

